Peer-Based Messaging Systems and Methods

1 . A method for transmitting electronic messages, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic message, originated at a first communication device, over a first protocol, the electronic message received at a second communication device;

converting, at the second communication device, the electronic message to a second protocol, the first protocol different from the second protocol; and

sending the electronic message to a third communication device over the second protocol.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communication device is associated with a user;

wherein the electronic message is addressed for transmission to the third communication device; and

wherein the second communication device refrains from notifying the user when the second communication device receives the electronic message.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first protocol is a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol; and

wherein the second protocol is a carrier protocol.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message;

wherein the first protocol is a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol; and

wherein the second protocol is a carrier protocol usable for transmission of SMS messages.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the electronic message, originated at the first communication device, over the first protocol comprises receiving the electronic message from the first communication device via a registration server.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting whether the second communication device is roaming; and

disabling communication between the second communication device and the registration server in response to determining that the second communication device is roaming.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

re-establishing communication with the registration server in response to determining that the second communication device is non-roaming.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented by an electronic message management application on the second communication device.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the second communication device, a reply-electronic message from the third communication device, the reply electronic message responsive to the electronic message and addressed to the first communication device; and

sending the reply communication message to the first communication device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein sending the reply communication message to the first communication device comprising sending the reply communication message to the first communication device via a registration server.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the reply electronic message is received at the second communication device over the second protocol; and

wherein the reply communication message is sent to the first communication device over the first protocol.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a set of user settings from a user associated with the second communication device, the set of user settings comprising at least one of a data cap, a message cap, or a data analytics participation setting; and

sending the set of user settings to a registration server.

14 . A method for transmitting electronic messages, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic message from an origination communication device over a first protocol, the electronic message addressed to a destination communication device;

searching for a peer communication device -within a proximity of the destination communication device; and

sending the electronic message to the peer communication device over the first protocol in response to identifying the peer communication device within the proximity of the destination communication device.

15 . The method of claim. 14 , wherein the peer communication device transmits the electronic message to the destination communication device over a second protocol, the first protocol different from the second protocol.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the peer communication device is one of a plurality of peer communication devices used to dispatch electronic messages to destination communication devices, the method further comprising:

balancing usage across the plurality of peer communication devices based on at least one of an availability to deliver to a region associated with the destination communication device, data caps associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices, message caps associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices, a routing cost for routing the electronic message, roaming statuses of each of the plurality of peer communication devices, or an electronic message throughput associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

analyzing the electronic message using rules-based weighting based upon incidences of keywords in the electronic message.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a data analytics participation setting from at least, one of the origination communication device, the peer communication device, or the destination communication device, wherein the data analytics participation setting is one of an opt-out setting, an opt-in setting, or an anonymous opt-in setting; and

analyzing the electronic message in accordance with the data analytics participation setting.

19 . A peer-based messaging system comprising:

an electronic message management application executable on a peer communication device, the electronic message management application to receive electronic messages, originated at one or more origination communication devices, over an internet-based protocol, convert the electronic messages to a short message service (SMS) carrier protocol, and send the electronic messages to one or more destination communication devices over the SMS carrier protocol.

20 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a registration server in communication with the one or more origination communication device and the peer communication device, the registration server comprising:

a credit tracking module to manage allocation of credits to an account associated with the peer communication device based on electronic messages sent to the peer communication device.

21 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a registration server in communication with the origination communication device and the peer communication device, the registration server comprising:

a load balancing module to determine the peer communication device through which to transmit, the electronic messages based on at least one of an availability to deliver to a region associated with the destination communication device, data caps associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices, message caps associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices, a routing cost for routing the electronic message, roaming statuses of each of the plurality of peer communication devices, or an electronic message throughput associated with each of the plurality of peer communication devices.

22 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a registration server in communication with the one or more origination communication devices and the peer communication device, the registration server comprising:

a data analytics module to analyze content of the electronic messages.

23 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a pool of peer communication devices, each of the peer communication devices in the pool of peer communication devices executing a respective electronic message management application, the pool of peer communication devices tracking-multiple unique electronic conversations that include the origination communication device.

24 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a registration server in communication with the one or more origination communication devices and the peer communication device; and

a pool of peer communication devices, each of the peer communication devices in the pool of peer communication devices executing a respective electronic message management application and each of the peer communication devices in the pool of peer communication devices registered to the registration server.

25 . A peer-based messaging system comprising:

a destination communication device;

an origination communication device to originate an electronic message, the electronic message comprising:

a destination address, in a first format, associated. with the destination communication device; and

a reply address, in a second format, associated with the origination communication device; and

one or more devices comprising a pool of peer communication devices, each of the pool of peer communication devices comprising an electronic message management application, the one or more devices to (a) receive the electronic message from the origination communication device over a first protocol, (b) create a temporary reply address, in the first format, associated with the reply address of the electronic message, (c) modify the electronic message to form a modified electronic message, the modified electronic message including as a reply address the temporary reply address, (d) forward the modified electronic message to the destination communication device over a second protocol, the second protocol different from the first protocol, (e) receive from the destination communication device, via the second protocol, a reply electronic message including the temporary reply address, and (f) forward the reply electronic message to the origination communication device whose reply address is associated with the temporary reply address.

26 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 25 , wherein the first format corresponds to a mobile phone number.

27 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 25 , wherein the second format corresponds to an Internet address.

28 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 25 , wherein the one or more devices includes a registration server.

29 . The peer-based messaging system of claim 25 , wherein a number of peer communication devices in the pool of peer communication devices is determined based on roaming-statuses of each of the peer communication devices such that (a) a particular peer communication device is included in the pool of peer communication devices if the peer communication device is non-roaming, and (b) the particular peer communication device is excluded from the pool of peer communication devices if the peer communication device is roaming.

30 . A method for transmitting electronic messages, the method comprising:

originating an electronic message at an origination communication device, the electronic message comprising:

a destination address, in a first format, associated with a destination communication device; and

a reply address, in a second format, associated with an origination communication device;

creating a temporary reply address, in the first format, associated with the reply address of the electronic message;

modifying the electronic message to form a modified electronic message, the modified electronic message including as a reply address the temporary reply address;

forwarding, from a peer communication device, the modified electronic message to the destination communication device over a carrier protocol;

receiving from the destination communication device via the carrier protocol a reply electronic message comprising the temporary reply address, the reply electronic message received by the peer communication device; and

forwarding, from the peer communication device, the reply electronic message to the reply address associated with the temporary reply address.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the first format corresponds to a mobile phone number.

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the second format corresponds to an Internet address.

33 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the reply electronic message is forwarded to the reply address associated with the temporary reply address via a registration server.

34 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the temporary reply address is created by one of the peer communication devices or a registration server.